Operations
Defense Policy / Programs
Defense Industry
Other Conflicts
News Reports

Current Operations

• OIF/OEF/OND Casualty Update 06 Aug 2012 [PDF]
• Airstrike Kills Several Insurgents in Afghanistan AFPS 06 Aug 2012 -- A coalition airstrike killed several insurgents during a search for a Taliban leader in the Achin district of Afghanistan’s Nangarhar province.
• NATO: Haqqani Commander Killed in Eastern Afghanistan VOA 06 Aug 2012 -- NATO says a coalition airstrike in eastern Afghanistan has killed a commander with the al-Qaida-linked Haqqani network.
• UK forces support Afghan operation in Lower Gereshk Valley UK MOD 06 Aug 2012 -- Afghan soldiers and police, supported by British troops, have completed an operation to clear insurgents from the Lower Gereshk Valley, in the north of Nahr-e Saraj district.
• Pakistan, Afghanistan Tensions Flare Cross-Border Attacks VOA 06 Aug 2012 -- Tensions are rising between Pakistan and Afghanistan over deadly cross-border attacks on both sides of the porous border.
• Putin Praises NATO in Afghanistan, but Prepares Fallback Plan VOA 06 Aug 2012 -- After years of complaining about American troops in Afghanistan, Russian President Vladimir Putin is now urging them to stay.
• Belgium Begins Afghanistan Troop Withdrawal RIA Novosti 06 Aug 2012 -- The first group of Belgian soldiers from a detachment providing security at the Kabul airport has been withdrawn from Afghanistan.
• Leader Of Islamic Movement Of Uzbekistan Killed In US Drone Attack RFE/RL 06 Aug 2012 -- A website associated with the Al-Qaeda-linked Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan announced on August 4 that its leader Osman Adil was killed in a drone attack in Pakistan.
• US Downsizing Operations in Iraq VOA 06 Aug 2012 -- In the 7 months since the US withdrew its combat forces from Iraq, US relations with Baghdad have deteriorated as Iraqi insurgents have carried out a major attack at least once a month.
• Underwood Recovers 49 Bales of Drugs from Caribbean Sea NNS 06 Aug 2012 -- The USS Underwood recovered 49 bales of narcotics from the Caribbean Sea during Operation Martillo, Aug. 3.
• Reserve answers call for additional MAFFS aircraft in Boise AFNS 06 Aug 2012 -- The U.S. Forest Service has modified its request for assistance for the MAFFS-equipped C-130s.

Defense Policy / Programs

• Panetta Describes Strategy, Warns Against Sequestration AFPS 06 Aug 2012 -- As the Defense Department adopts a new paradigm for the U.S. military to remain a formidable force while absorbing $487 billion in spending reductions over the next decade, the prospect of an additional $500 billion spending reduction over that period would be “a disaster” not only for national defense, but also for defense communities, Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta said.
• New AFSC merges certain gunners, engineers, loadmasters AFNS 06 Aug 2012 -- Some 924 enlisted aviators will find themselves with a new Air Force specialty code Oct. 31.
• HSM 77 Returns Home Following Eight Month Deployment NNS 06 Aug 2012 -- Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron 77 returned to Naval Air Station North Island Aug. 4, following an eight-month deployment to the U.S. 7th Fleet and 5th Fleet areas of operations.
• Rodong Sinmun Exposes Danger of Joint Military Exercises KCNA 06 Aug 2012 -- The U.S. is mulling staging Ulji Freedom Guardian joint military exercises with the south Koreans from August 20 to 31.
• Chief of Panmunjom Mission Sends Protest Notice to US KCNA 06 Aug 2012 -- The U.S. and the south Korea are going to stage again Ulji Freedom Guardian joint military exercises from August 20 to 31.
• B-52s provide RIMPAC 2012 air capability AFNS 06 Aug 2012 -- Members from the 69th Expeditionary Bomb Squadron participated in 9 sorties in support of this year's RIMPAC exercise.
• Annual PANAMAX Military Exercise Kicks Off in Florida NNS 06 Aug 2012 -- Rear Adm. Sinclair Harris, commander, U.S. Naval Forces Southern Command and U.S. 4th Fleet and Brazilian Rear Adm. Wilson Pereira de Lima Filho welcomed partner nation participants and staff officially kicking off this year's PANAMAX exercise, Aug. 6.
• Rescue Airmen partner with Canadians for search-and-rescue training AFNS 06 Aug 2012 -- Approximately 30 Airmen from the 920th Rescue Wing at Patrick Air Force Base, Fla., traveled to Canada July 15-22 to train alongside and strengthen partnerships with Royal Canadian Air Force search-and-rescue technicians.
• Air Force has role in Mars Rover success AFNS 06 Aug 2012 -- AEDC's role in supporting the MSL program has included evaluating the aerothermal loading of the heat shield at the complex's Hypervelocity Tunnel 9 facility in Silver Spring, Maryland.
• New imaging technique detects changes in veins that may better illuminate brain injury Army News 06 Aug 2012 -- A new dimension in imaging technology detects minute levels of vascular damage in the form of bleeding, clots and reduced levels of oxygenation that may better illuminate our understanding of brain injury, particularly related to trauma.
• Secretary of Defense Leon E. Panetta Speech at the Association of Defense Communities DoD 06 Aug 2012
• Interior and Defense Departments Join Forces to Promote Renewable Energy on Federal Lands DoD 06 Aug 2012
• Defense, Interior Departments Join Forces on Renewable Energy AFPS 06 Aug 2012 -- The Defense and Interior departments are teaming up to strengthen energy security and reduce military utility costs.
• DOD Approves $40 Million Grant to Montgomery County, Md., and $5.7 Million Grant to the City of Lakewood, Wash., for Transportation Improvements DoD 06 Aug 2012
• Panetta: DOD-Community Partnerships Essential in Austerity AFPS 06 Aug 2012 -- Partnerships between the Defense Department and civilian communities always have been important, but are essential in a challenging fiscal environment.
• Russia to Set Up Naval Infrastructure in Arctic RIA Novosti 06 Aug 2012 -- Russia will create several infrastructure hubs along the Northern Sea Route in the Arctic.
• MDP providing Olympics security UK MOD 06 Aug 2012 -- The Ministry of Defence Police is currently undertaking its largest ever deployment outside the MOD estate as it supports the 2012 Olympics.
• Indo-Mongolia joint military training exercise commences IRNA 06 Aug 2012 -- In the backdrop of ongoing and ever increasing defence cooperation between Mongolia Army and Indian Army, a ten-day joint training execise, "Exercise Nomadic Elephant 2012" commenced.
• Navy disciplines officials for blunder in drill CNA 06 Aug 2012 -- The Navy said it has disciplined officials responsible for warships going off course during a military drill in late July.
• Kim Jong Un Inspects KPA Unit KCNA 06 Aug 2012 -- Supreme Commander of the Korean People's Army Kim Jong Un, first secretary of the Workers' Party of Korea and first chairman of the National Defence Commission of the DPRK, inspected a sub-unit under KPA Unit 552.
• Press Briefing by Press Secretary Jay Carney, 8/6/2012 The White House 06 Aug 2012
• U.S. Department of State Daily Press Briefing US Dept. of State 06 Aug 2012

Defense Industry

• DoD News: Contracts for August 06, 2012
• Armavia Returns Superjet-100 to Manufacturer RIA Novosti 06 Aug 2012 -- Armenia’s flagship air carrier Armavia said it had returned its Superjet-100 medium-haul aircraft to the manufacturer, for which it was the launch customer.

Other Conflicts

• Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General, 06 August 2012 United Nations 06 Aug 2012
• Syrian President decries terrorism backed by foreign powers IRNA 06 Aug 2012 -- Syrian President Bashar al-Assad on Tuesday decried terrorism sponsored by foreign powers in Syria.
• Defection Highlights Sectarian Divide in Syrian Government VOA 06 Aug 2012 -- The defection of Syria's Sunni Muslim Prime Minister Riad Hijab is the latest sign of a sectarian split in the Alawite-dominated government of President Bashar al-Assad.
• Head of UN observer mission voices concern over Aleppo UN News Centre 06 Aug 2012 -- The head of UN observers in Syria spoke out about the ongoing fighting taking place in the Middle Eastern country.
• Kurdish Gains in Syria Rattle Turkey VOA 06 Aug 2012 -- Kurds in the north of Syria say they have taken control of most of the region's major towns and cities from government forces.
• Syria's Prime Minister Defects, Flees to Jordan VOA 06 Aug 2012 -- Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's government suffered a significant blow when Prime Minister Riyad Hijab fled with his family to Jordan.
• Syrian Prime Minister Defects As Blast Hits TV-Radio Building RFE/RL 06 Aug 2012 -- Syria's state-run TV says the country's prime minister has been fired after reports that Riyad Hijab has defected to Jordan.
• Syrian PM Defects to Join Opposition RIA Novosti 06 Aug 2012 -- Syrian Prime Minister Riyad Hijab emerged in Jordan, saying he had defected from the Assad regime in Damascus and joined the opposition.
• Bomb Hits Syria TV in Damascus RIA Novosti 06 Aug 2012 -- The Syrian television and radio building in Damascus has been rocked by a powerful bomb blast.
• Iran Denies Syria Captives Are Revolutionary Guards RIA Novosti 06 Aug 2012 -- The Iranian foreign ministry denied on Monday that the 48 Iranians kidnapped in Syria on Saturday were members of the elite Iranian Revolutionary Guards.
• Neighboring states to convene in Tehran for consultations on Syria IRNA 06 Aug 2012 -- The neighboring states will convene in Tehran for consultations on Syria, Deputy Foreign Minister for African and Arab Affairs Hossein Amir Abdollahian said.
• Saudi King Invites Iran's Ahmadinejad to Discuss Syria RIA Novosti 06 Aug 2012 -- Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad will take part in the meeting of the 57-member pan-Muslim Organization of Islamic Cooperation in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, which will be focused on the Syrian conflict among other topics.
• Israeli Leaders Urge Greater Security Following Sinai Attack VOA 06 Aug 2012 -- Senior Israeli leaders are calling on Egypt's new government to strengthen security along their common border hours after alleged Islamist militants killed 16 Egyptian soldiers and tried to force their way into Israel.
• Egyptian President Vows To Retake Control Of Sinai After Attack RFE/RL 06 Aug 2012 -- Egyptian President Muhammad Mursi has vowed he would retake “full control” of the Sinai after unidentified gunmen attacked a checkpoint on the Egyptian-Israeli border.
• Egyptian Leader Pledges Response to Sinai Attack RIA Novosti 06 Aug 2012 -- Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi vowed to retake control of the Sinai Peninsula following militant attack that killed 16 Egyptian guards near the Israeli border.
• Egyptian Leaders Vow to Restore Security in Sinai RIA Novosti 06 Aug 2012 -- Egypt’s Supreme Council of the Armed Forces vowed to restore security in the country’s Sinai Peninsula as soon as possible after a deadly attack on a border crossing.
• Morsi Claims Egypt Safe for Tourists as Key Road Closes RIA Novosti 06 Aug 2012 -- Egyptian leader Mohamed Morsi said that Egypt remains a stable and safe destination for tourists, despite the revolution in 2011 that ousted former president Hosni Mubarak.
• African Leaders Discuss Sending Troops Into DRC VOA 06 Aug 2012 -- Leaders of Africa's Great Lakes region are meeting in the Ugandan capital to discuss sending an international force into the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo.
• Regional Leaders to Discuss DRC Troop Deployment VOA 06 Aug 2012 -- Leaders from 11 countries who make up the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region are expected to meet to discuss a new plan to deploy an international force in Democratic Republic of Congo to expel fighters there.
• UN Humanitarian Chief Seeks First-Hand Look at Congo Crisis VOA 06 Aug 2012 -- The United Nations’ top official for humanitarian affairs, Valerie Amos, is in the Democratic Republic of Congo for a three-day tour.
• UN-AU peacekeeping mission in Darfur deeply concerned over violence in North Darfur UN News Centre 06 Aug 2012 -- The United Nations-African Union peacekeeping mission in Darfur voiced its deep concern over recent violence and attacks on civilians in and around the town of Kutum.
• UN envoy deplores deadly attack against Côte d’Ivoire military camp UN News Centre 06 Aug 2012 -- The United Nations envoy in Côte d’Ivoire has strongly condemned attack against a military base in Abidjan.
• U.S. expects Tiaoyutai dispute to be resolved peacefully CNA 06 Aug 2012 -- The US expects the territorial dispute over the Tiaoyutai Islands to be addressed through peaceful means, a U.S. official said.
• Survey ship harassed by Japanese in Taiwan's economic zone: MOFA CNA 06 Aug 2012 -- A marine survey ship that cut short its mission a day early after being harassed by a Japanese Coast Guard aircraft was in a part of Taiwan's exclusive economic zone that overlaps with Japan's.
• KCNA Slams Japan's Oft-repeated "Claim" to Tok Islets KCNA 06 Aug 2012 -- Japan marked Tok Islets as part of its territory in the 2012 white paper for defense.

News Reports

• Standard Chartered Bank Denies Violating U.S. Sanctions On Iran RFE/RL 06 Aug 2012 -- The London-based bank accused of violating U.S. sanctions against doing business with Iran has rejected the allegations.
• Iranian State Television Airs 'Confessions Of Nuclear Scientists Killers' RFE/RL 06 Aug 2012 -- Iranian state television has broadcast purported confessions by more than a dozen suspects in connection with the killing of five nuclear scientists since 2010.
• Jalili welcomes Lebanon hosting Iran-G5+1 talks IRNA 06 Aug 2012 -- Secretary of Supreme National Security Council Saeed Jalili says Iran welcomes Lebanon hosting the new round of its talks with G5+1.
• South Korean Activist Alleges Torture in Chinese Prison VOA 06 Aug 2012 -- China is denying allegations that authorities tortured a detained South Korean human rights campaigner.
• Zambian Minister Condemns Killing of Chinese Mine Manager VOA 06 Aug 2012 -- Zambia’s Minister of Labor and Social Security said the weekend killing of a Chinese mine manager was a criminal act that had nothing to do with an industrial dispute involving a new minimum wage.
• Sudan, South Sudan Set To Resume Negotiations In Late August VOA 06 Aug 2012 -- A spokesman for the African Union Peace and Security Commission says the group is hopeful South Sudan and Sudan can resolve all outstanding disagreements before a September 22nd deadline.
• Secretary-General welcomes oil deal between Sudan and South Sudan UN News Centre 06 Aug 2012 -- UN Secretary-General Ban welcomes the deal reached by the Governments of Sudan and South Sudan on oil and financial arrangements.
• Sudans Ink Oil Deal; More Needed VOA 06 Aug 2012 -- Sudan and South Sudan’s new agreement on oil transit fees appears to resolve one of the most costly and bitter disputes between the two nations.
• With talks over, UN envoy urges Somali parties to complete transition tasks on time UN News Centre 06 Aug 2012 -- UNs top political envoy to the country called on all actors to ensure that the remaining tasks are completed in two weeks’ time.
• On anniversary of Hiroshima atomic bombing, Ban urges elimination of nuclear weapons UN News Centre 06 Aug 2012 -- Marking the 67th anniversary of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon urged countries to work together to eliminate the threat of nuclear weapons.
• Japan Marks 67th Anniversary of Hiroshima Bombing VOA 06 Aug 2012 -- Hiroshima marked the 67th anniversary of the world's first atomic bomb attack, amid a rising tide of anti-nuclear sentiments in Japan.
• Lithuanian Party Leader Fined for 'Denial of Soviet Aggression' RIA Novosti 06 Aug 2012 -- Lithuania's leader of the Socialist People's Front, Algirdas Paleckis, has been found guilty and paid a fine of just over $4,000 for "denying Soviet aggression against Lithuania and its people."